She Understood
by Lady Dudley
Summary: A Jim/Jean epilogue to "Nest of Vipers" where Jim comes clean about Anne Gilmour.


**A/N: Another "Nest of Vipers" piece. This one is an add on to the end of the episode, rather than an AU scenario. I just thought Jim's reaction to the "men of the world" line was interesting, particularly in light of what he'd been up to... :P Besides, I love Jim/Jean. She understands him so well and I like exploring that. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**_She Understood_  
**

"_We are all men of the world"_

Jim Taggart mulled those words over and over in his mind, hating that the man had had the audacity to think that either he or Michael would understand him cheating on his wife.

But he knew that deep down the comment had struck a nerve, it had reminded him of the gnawing guilt he had about betraying Jean.

He had never lied to her before, at least, not in order to deceive her. He had lied to protect her several times: telling her half truths about a case he was working on or downplaying how much danger he was likely to be in.

But he had always come clean in the end.

This time it was different, this time he had skipped out on something she had told him was important to her to go out to dinner with another woman.

Nothing inappropriate had occurred and he was sure that had he told her to truth Jean probably would have understood. He didn't know why he had felt the need to lie about his whereabouts. He prided himself on his integrity and his honesty, with Jean most of all, now he had betrayed his unspoken promise to always be honest with her.

He could still remember how pleased she had been to see him and then the crushed look in her eyes as he told her that he couldn't stay. That she would be spending the evening alone again.

It had hurt him to see how much he was hurting her, especially since he knew he could have avoided it. Instead he had told a lie about working late and slipped off to Anne Gilmour's place.

Anne had committed suicide a day or so later, shortly after they discovered the whereabouts of her missing daughter. Jim hadn't known how to react, he knew that Michael had been right about his becoming too emotionally involved in the case but when he found Anne dead he'd felt grief, yes, but also a sense of relief.

Relief that her death didn't affect to the degree that he feared it would, relief that despite what the treacherous part of his brain would whisper he had not been in love with her.

Relief that he had never betrayed Jean to that extent at least; she was still the woman he loved. Infuriating as she may be at times.

Jim watched as she joined him at the dinner table for supper, he knew he had to tell her.

He put his fork down and looked her in the eye, "Jean, I have a confession to make," he told her without any other preamble, "the other night I wasn't working, I went out to dinner with Anne Gilmour."

He watched her process his blunt admission, knowing that she would grasp immediately which night he was referring to. He watched as different emotions played across her face – hurt, anger, disbelief – she looked up at him.

"I know," she said simply. "Oh don't look so shocked, Jim Taggart," she admonished him, "I've been married to you long enough to know when you're lying. I knew it wasn't work you had that night. I just didn't think it was another woman," she finished quietly, looking away.

"Jean," he told her in a softer tone, "nothing ever happened between us," he saw her nod again, "and I didn't want it to either." She looked up at him and he noticed the look of mild shock in her eyes, "Jean, you have the ability to drive me up the wall like no other woman, you get under my skin," he told her. "But that's why I love _you_," he admitted, putting a little extra stress on the word.

Jean smiled, "You're a difficult man to live with, Jim, but I wouldn't change you for the world."

Jim smiled and reached over to squeeze her hand, before he returned his attention to his supper; feeling better for confessing and the knowledge that he should never have doubted her.

Jean knew him better than he knew himself at times, he should have trusted her to understand from the beginning.

**A/N: I put the line in about Jim not wanting to have an affair either, because I sometimes get the sense that Jean does feel a little insecure about her disability. Like she's let Jim down in someway but I also think he'd be horrified if he knew that.**

I love writing for them because their relationship is so interesting: Jean really does understand him much better than anyone else whereas he understands her, but at the same time can be a little dense when it comes to her. I also like how neither of them are particularly schmutlzy but you still know that they care :)  



End file.
